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Graduate study opportunities in the USA
Admissions requirements
Each university has its own admission requirements. Contact the director of graduate admissions for prospectuses, application forms and financial aid information or refer to the university’s website.
Letters of recommendation are an essential part of the application and care should be taken in choosing referees.
Above all else, it is important that referees are familiar with the student’s academic work and can discuss an applicant’s academic and intellectual potential.
US universities require a statement of purpose from candidates as part of the application process. This is an opportunity to distinguish oneself from other applicants. The goal is to write a clear, concise and persuasive statement that sincerely reflects the applicant’s views and aspirations. The university and graduate department will be looking for an essay that touches on academic or research interests; the reason for wanting to pursue graduate study; strong and specific reasons for choosing that institution; future career goals; how graduate study will help to achieve those goals; and relevant extracurricular experiences or personal qualities not discussed elsewhere in the application.
It is important to check all university admissions deadlines carefully. US university deadlines are firm and applicants must ensure that the full application pack has reached the university before the required date. This includes the non-refundable application fee, which ranges from $30 to $100 per institution. Some universities offer a rolling admissions process, which means that applications will be accepted until spaces are full, rather than a single date. Again, confirm what approach the institution you’re interested in has.
Graduate scholarships and funding
In contrast to undergraduate education, where admission and financial awards are controlled at the institutional level, US graduate education is quite tightly controlled at the departmental level. Financial aid and scholarships for certain fields tends to be more heavily subsidised than for others. For example, a student of physics, chemistry, or biology may find institutional funding more readily available than a student of humanities, the social sciences, or education.
There are also independent foundations and scholarship organisations that provide funding for international students wishing to study in the US. For example, The US-UK Fulbright Commission grants between six and ten graduate awards in any discipline at any US institution for British students. The award covers tuition fees, health insurance, and living expenses for the first year of study only. Simon Ruben adds, “Don’t give up, dig about everywhere and anywhere and write lots and lots of letters – the worst thing people can say is ‘No’.”
Many personal loan schemes are also available from both US and international sources such as banks and loan services. Additionally, international students may work for up to 20 hours per week on campus when classes are in session and full-time during university holidays. International students are also eligible for up to one calendar year of Optional Practical Training (OPT), provided that the position is directly related to the students’ field of study and commensurate with their educational level. OPT may be applied for after nine months of full-time study and it allows a student the opportunity to gain professional experience with an American firm while earning.
Contrary to popular belief, obtaining a visa to do graduate studies in the US should not be problematic. While certain procedures have changed post-9/11, including the introduction of the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the process is not complicated and most international students should not face any particular hurdles. Along with a visa application form, valid passport, documentation showing sufficient funds to cover living expenses and fees for the first year of study, evidence of intent to return to your country at the conclusion of the academic program in the US, proof of SEVIS fee payment, a photograph, and the visa fee are required. As a general rule, student visas processing times are reasonable. Aisling writes, “The visa application process was straightforward and once I received my I -20 form from the university, setting up a visa appointment at the embassy was simple and relatively stress-free.”
